Around the World in 30days (1985)

For fans of Douglas Adams who will be aware of his book ‘The restaurant at the end of the Galaxy’ I can only describe Anchorage as ‘The airport at the end of the Galaxy!’ A long glass corridor with gates at each side the airport was miles from Anchorage and sat in the middle of raised taxiways which had deep pits surrounding them. I decided to explore and headed off to the far end past display cases of stuffed Moose, stuffed Bears, stuffed wolves in fact every type of fauna in Alaska including a family of Inuit on a sledge pulled by stuffed dogs. Bizarre!

‘Guida come un Italiano!’ (Feb-October 85)

‘Calzaturificio Di Varese’ or shoemakers of Varese who had been bought by mega brand of the ’80’s Benetton. Their vision of Reebok was athletic fashion and the plan was to take Italy with colour.

SIZZLIN’ HOT REEBOK (September ’84)

We were inundated with enquires from around the world, we were on fire, Reebok was Sizzlin’ Hot.

SOLD (March 1984)

Much has been said by those involved about the sale of the Reebok brand by my father to Reebok USA. I know however the company was up for sale within weeks of my Uncle’s death.

Reebok UK (July 1984)

In July 1984 Reebok appointed a new distributor, Fleetfoot Ltd. Owned by Chris Brasher and John Disley.

Into the City! (March 1984)

City was to be our most modern trainer. Bob Johnson had returned as Factory Manager and he convinced my Dad we had to have a Strobel sewing machine in order to make the sock lasted shoes like our competition. This was an evil machine with a needle that shot out straight at the user.

Grandad’s desk (December ’83)

It was in a bad way, veneer cracked and pieces missing. We loaded it and reported back to Bradley Fold with our haul and took my dad through what we had found.

Not at first Sight!

‘Yeah Reebok, Aerobics’, ‘you got lucky there!’ or ‘that was easy’. Until, Denise Austin landed a slot on American Breakfast TV and finished her routine with the immortal line; “You can do this in the studio or at home” “bare feet or a pair of shoes like these!” She held her foot up to her beaming face and there was that Union Flag and the word REEBOK we had just been beamed into every home in America.

Discovering a passion.

Here beneath the warm California sun, shaded by palm trees, there was a new sport; ‘Aerobics’ or Aerobic Workout. Angel continued to talk how, Californian ladies were taking over dance studios and working out to music in groups.

Coming to America (October 1983)

Holiday of a lifetime, that was how it was billed. The furthest I’d ever been on a plane was Spain, that’s just two hours and I was off to America! A holiday in California, Disneyland, Universal Studios! New York, the Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, but, “first we’re going to Boston.”